When you hear of macros and calories and the tracking that needs to go into it, you may feel as if you are being taken through a torturous journey of CrossFit Diet into achieving your fitness goals. The reality is, your attitude and approach will determine how easy and boring these exercises can be. Remember, CrossFit nutrition is not just what you eat and when rather it is an important tool to help you boost your CrossFit performance as you integrate the essential workouts. Macros are simply macronutrients. If you have heard about protein, fat, and carbohydrate, then you already have a foundational knowledge of what macros are. Each of these nutrients has a specific number of calories per gram. For instance, protein has 4 calories per gram, fat has 9 calories per gram, and carbohydrate has 4 calories per gram. Determining Your Goal The first step in the macro counting and calorie tracking business is to set up a goal. The goal usually has 2 components, the first being losing weight and the second gaining muscle. In order to achieve these goals, you must find out as the baseline the much you are eating currently. You can know this by tracking your food intake continuously for 2 to 4 weeks. Always take your weight measurements before and after. If you find that you lost weight, then it means you are not eating as much, if you gained weight then you are eating more than your system needs. Add the calories you have consumed and then divide them by the number of days to get the daily average of your CrossFit diet. Total Daily Energy Expenditure and the Basic Metabolic Rate The BMR refers to the energy your body needs in order to function each day. For your heart to beat, nails to grow, your system to digest, and even for you to breath, you need energy. To add to this foundational energy requirement, you need more energy to support activities such as walking, running, and weightlifting. This is taken care of by the total daily energy expenditure. There are several tools you can use to calculate your BMR and total daily energy expenditure. Calculating Your Macros Depending on whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, your CrossFit diet needs to adapt to this. Having put your goal into context, you need to establish the percentage of energy that you either need to add or subtract from your total daily energy expenditure so as to meet your goal. For gaining muscle, you will go through the gradual process of lean massing while for losing fat you will gradually experience weight loss. Keeping Track and Measuring Progress After you input the desired protein, carbohydrate, fats, and targeted calories, it is now your responsibility to keep check of whatever meal you take including snacks. It may be difficult at first, but just like CrossFit workouts, with time it becomes a habit. A kitchen scale is an important tool to make this tracking as accurate as possible. Keep on tweaking your food intake as you progress. Measuring progress is important and should be determined from the word go what specific indicators will be used. In as much as the scale is a logical instrument to check progress, before and after pictures as well as muscle tissue measurements can tell you how well you are doing. You can also measure body fat using calipers.
KUNAL JHAVERI | 15 May 18
Any CrossFit athlete will tell you that a strong core is an absolute must in CrossFit success. As opposed to bodybuilding which prioritizes aesthetics, CrossFit puts function and fitness first. Because of this, it gives you a healthy approach where your body is defined by what it does and not how it looks. There are sit up exercises that will enhance your core and as an addition give you the much fantasized six pack abs. Before delving into these exercises, it must be emphasized that the right CrossFit nutrition must be part of the matrix. L-Sit This is a deceptively brutal CrossFit exercise with lots of benefits for CrossFitters. It enhances the health of your shoulders, chisels your abs, builds functional core strength, as well as helping you out with your deadlift. L-Sits can be done on dip bars, kettle bells, push-up bars, yoga blocks, or even benches. All you need are two secure platforms of the same height to enable you to lift your butt off the ground. Frog Crunch This variation targets your lower abs, strengthens your core, and also challenges your balance and stability. Start by sitting and bending your knees right in front of you. Then, lean back slightly so that your torso is positioned at a 45 degrees angle relative to the floor while your chins parallel to the floor. As you straighten your legs and push your arms to the sides, keep your abs involved. Lastly, bring your legs and arms back to the initial position and continue with these movements while holding your core steady. Bicycle Crunch This CrossFit exercise is excellent for toning your thighs and building core strength. You don’t need any equipment, and you can perform it anywhere. Just lie on the floor and let your lower back press onto the ground. Position your hands on either side of your head, but do not pull your head up or lock your fingers. Gradually, lift your knees up to an angle of 45 degrees and slowly execute a bicycle pedal motion using your legs. Alternately, as you twist back and forth through your core, let the opposite knee touch your elbows. Instead of keeping the elbows forward to the chest, keep them back because this can strain your neck. Running Man Sit Up This is more or less a combination of a standard sit up and a bicycle crunch. Simply lie on the floor and position your hands behind your head. As you curl up and twist your torso, bend your right knee so that it is crossed over by your left elbow. Thereafter, drop all the way to the starting point and then repeat the same for the other side. Reverse Crunch Pulse To perform this exercise, lie on your back and let your legs face straight up perpendicular to the floor. As for your hands, keep them down on your sides and let your palms face down. Squeeze your abs as you raise and lower your butt off the floor in quick succession. When doing this exercise, focus on using your lower abs. The alternative way of doing this is to bend your legs at the knees and allow your shins to be parallel to the floor. Other sit up exercises you may want to include in your CrossFit workout schedule are Russian twist, six pack abs plank, and T-Cross sit up.
KUNAL JHAVERI | 02 May 18
Deadlifting is a CrossFit workout that has been praised for producing strong people. However, in the deadlifting world, there are constant debates between sumo pullers and conventional style fanatics each defending their own turf. There are lots of strong personal opinions on whether or not deadlifting sumo is easy or difficult compared to conventional pulling. There are certain benefits of the sumo deadlift that for some reason are not addressed by the conventional style. Sumo Deadlift Translates Pulling Strength to Real Life Movements Almost every real-life movement where we are asked to lift a weight from the ground is usually done in some variation of sumo. Whether it is flipping logs, lifting the backend of your car, or helping a friend to move refrigerators and coaches, there is some element of sumo-style involved. If you stop and remove yourself from the formal definitions of sumo and open your eyes to movements in the real world, you will realize that sumo deadlift is powerful and practical in your day-to-day life. Individualization of the Deadlift The conventional style is popularly referred to as the gold standard deadlift method. However, the sumo stance can give lots of individuals and athletes a much better pulling approach based on their mobility levels, hip structure, and comfort. Depending on your angle of inclination when doing this CrossFit exercise, you may or may not be comfortable in a given pulling position. Sumo allows you to choose the way to load your posterior chain so that you can feel comfortable and athletic. This diversification helps athletes become stronger and safer. Enhances Quadriceps and Gluteus Maximus Development  Sumo stance places demands on knee extension and this has been shown to increase electromyographic activity in vastus medialis, vastus lateralis significantly, and tibialis anterior compared to conventional style deadlifts. This, in turn, has led to increased quadriceps and glute development that is unique to the sumo style deadlift. Since sumo deadlift is the CrossFit workout, which gives you the ability to target the glutes and quadriceps in a given pulling movement, it can help you to strengthen the specific muscles as well as positions you use when taking a wide stance in the back squats. Also, the deadlift will help you add lower body volume into off-season and preparatory program without the need to excessively tax spinal erectors. Minimization of Lumber Spine Stress Compared to the conventional style, the sumo deadlift has been shown to produce approximately 10% less stress on the spinal extensors. This is because the athletes assume a wider stance where they can open up their hips, flex their knees, as well as keep the hips closer to the barbell at the beginning and this increases the torso angle of the beginning position. Also, it shifts demands placed on the spinal erectors to the glutes and quadriceps. Therefore, sumo deadlift is worth CrossFit workout to include in your CrossFit training schedule for the above and many more other benefits.
KUNAL JHAVERI | 17 Mar 18
Every CrossFit athlete has their favorite workout and their least favorite as well. However, in certain circumstances, you may end up feeling average after your CrossFit gym session. Burpees are admittedly some of the most grueling CrossFit exercises. That notwithstanding, they carry tons of benefits such as strength building, cardiovascular fitness enhancement, and balance improvement. Also, burpees target almost every part of the body giving you an all-around workout. While it is clear burpees are beneficial, unless you integrate them into your workout routine, they will be of no use. The beauty of having a structured workout is the predictability that comes with it hence no room for guesswork. Because of the difficulty and challenge that comes with burpees, some athletes feel like giving up midway. By structuring out your routine, chances of backing off even when your body can’t take it anymore are greatly reduced. This ensures you score high in your metabolism benefits. The following burpee CrossFit workouts will certainly ramp up your metabolism and enhance fat-burning. The beauty is that the routines are designed to accommodate time constraints, finesses and equipment access for every athlete. The New Dad Workout If your time is so constrained that you cannot get to the gym, this burpee workout is for you. It takes about minutes to complete this workout and throughout this time, all you do are burpees. This makes it relatively simple. Depending on your fitness level, try and perform this workout in repetitions every minute instead of performing the entire exercise nonstop for the scheduled time. Ensure you rest for the remaining time before the start of the next minute. The most important aspect of this workout is the form, and at times you may be forced to start from the basic level to cultivate a perfect performance. Remember, it is much more beneficial to do six burpees perfectly than to fumble around with 12 burpees. The 100 Burpees Exercise Challenge This workout lasts for 15 minutes just the new dad workout, but it incorporates some variations as a way of breaking the monotony some athletes feel comes with doing the same things repeatedly for a quarter an hour. As the title puts it, you will do a total of 10 burpees in this type of CrossFit workouts. However, every ten reps, you will rest for about 25 seconds then switch to another variation. It is recommended that you limit high-intensity interval training to about 4 times per week so that you can have adequate rest. This is key to injury prevention. The Burpee Blast This is for the CrossFit athletes whose fitness levels are way up and simply want to boost their intensity. The burpee blast is rather simple CrossFit workouts to do. You begin with your normal burpee and then at the end, finish up with a push-up after you spring back to the plank position. Try moving as fast as you can without compromising on the form. The Bedroom Bodyweight Workout The bedroom bodyweight CrossFit exercise is a nine-move circuit comprising 3 circuits each having three exercises. Before you go to the next move, you should complete the prescribed number of reps. After the 3 circuit moves, you will have 30 seconds of rest and then repeat the entire process two more times. As pointed out, you don’t need gym equipment for this meaning you can do your burpees anywhere anytime.
KUNAL JHAVERI | 15 Mar 18
The desire and appetite to go to a higher level each time you are in CrossFit training help drive growth and new challenges. In order to scale the heights of CrossFit, you need a good collection of shoes you can rely on for your training. There are lots of models from different manufacturers, and at times this leaves some CrossFit athletes confused as to which is the best pair to train with. The following models have been tested through reps and rounds in jumping, lunging, squatting, hitting the floor, and other exercise movements. The best CrossFit shoes are those that will allow you to push to the limit, but still, maintain stability and flexibility throughout the process. Choosing a specific pair is often difficult, but through extensive reviews, you can settle on some shoes. The following are some of the best CrossFit shoes for your gym workouts. Nike Metcon 3 This model is known for its stability, exceptional transfer of power during sprinting, and an awesome grip for rope climbs. Based on experience, Metcon 3 has a stable heel and sole which is excellent for heavy squats, carries, and deadlifts. That said, its flexible forefoot shines the most in sprinting, jumping, and burpees. Athletes who have tried this shoe find it particularly grippy on rope climbs and can handle well some of the CrossFit movements categorized as trickier. Adidas Powerlift 3 This model is exceptional for weightlifting, gives you incredible protection, and it is comfortable on runs. This is one of the CrossFit shoes that have shown surprising versatility in weightlifting. It performs exemplarily well during short runs and when doing deadlifts, cleans, and heavy squats, it remains relatively stable. If you are seeking an edge in heavier lifts competitions, the Powerlift 3 is a smart choice. No Bull Trainer This shoe is comfortable and has a durable upper part. Come to think of it; it lives up to the hype. Regarding performance, it gives you an all-around assurance and doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses. It is easy to wear, and you can work out in it for hours both before and after the WOD. Its finish is clean and stylish and can be worn with virtually any casual leave alone CrossFit gear. The No Bull Trainers gives you an elegant solution if you are looking for one pair of shoes you can work out with and at the same time wear to informal events. Reebok Nano 7.0 The Nano 7 is one of the most popular CrossFit shoes because it does everything. Its features make it favorable in weightlifting. Its slightly elevated and supportive heel provides excellent stability when squatting or receiving heavy cleans. When it comes to squats and Olympic lifts, the Nano 7 outperforms many other shoe models thanks to its stiffer and stable sole. Other shoes you may consider when hitting the CrossFit gym include Adidas CrazyPower Trainer, Asics Conviction X, and New Balance Minimus 40.
KUNAL JHAVERI | 15 Dec 17
CrossFitters and professional athletes are among the most active people. However, for them to optimize their activities, they need the right shoe and not just that, but the right fit as well. Having the right shoe can mean the difference between active participation and just sitting on the sidelines. Podiatrists have also upped their game when it comes to foot care especially concerning special needs of athletes. Many cases of injury have been cited which are being caused by improper selection of shoes. When choosing CrossFit shoes, getting the right shoe can be deceptively complex. Most manufacturers do not follow the standards of width and length. Also, the sizes differ between brands and different styles. You could get a certain shoe size that fits well in one brand and struggles to fit when you pick another brand. Irrespective of the inconsistency, getting the right fitting shoe begins with measuring. Athletes should try shoes which are made in 2 to 4 widths per half size. Unfortunately, visiting most stores, you will find the shoes manufacturers make are only one width. Because of this, athletes whose feet are wider may have to compromise and choose shoes that are too long so that they can get the width they need. The Shape of the Shoe If you want comfortable shoes, it is imperative that you match the shoe shape with your foot shape. Feet come in a variety of shapes and shoes are massively produced with a limited number of forms. According to the manufacturers, the forms available should typically accommodate the various foot shapes characteristics. Size is not the only factor when choosing a shoe because if you get one that is of the wrong shape, it may result in sub-optimal fit. The shoe shape factor to bear in mind includes arch morphology, forefoot breadth, toe depth, instep height, and heel width. Shoe Stability Most manufacturers tend to capitalize on the concept of stability to boost their shoe marketing campaigns. Some of them go to the extent of promising you everything from allowing your feet to move just as nature intended, to limiting excessive foot motion. Depending on your gait needs, shoes combine different features to balance motion control and cushioning. For you to determine the stability of a shoe, try squeezing the sides of the heel counter. Stable shoes will naturally resist compression. The second test is to hold the shoe at the toes and the heel and twist it. Shoes that are torsionally stable will resist twisting. Pronation You may find some runners demonstrating overpronation which means their feet Evert excessively after making initial ground contact. This diminishes the natural benefits of shock absorption that come with pronation. Athletes who have low arches with moderate to severe overpronation, they need motion control shoes that give them maximum rearfoot control as well as extra medial side support. These shoes may integrate carbon graphite or plastic stabilization piece at the calcaneus. Don’t go for general shoes, but rather specific shoes for specific surfaces and activities. Your CrossFit training will be worthwhile if you invest in the right set of shoes.  
KUNAL JHAVERI | 03 Dec 17
According to the American Heart Association, fatty acids can reduce triglyceride levels and helps keep our arteries clear. Without a healthy heart, you cannot go much far as a CrossFit athlete, and this is why you need to consider Omega 3 as a must-have supplement to boost your field performance. To give you a preview of what Omega 3 does, it speeds up your post-workout recovery, increases your gains, and works on your cardiovascular health to regularize your heartbeats. Unlike other nutrients which your body makes on its own, it cannot make Omega 3 fatty acids. It entirely depends on your dietary intake. This means your CrossFit diet should consist of foods such as avocados, nuts, and fish. Omega 3s are available in 3 main varieties: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The long chain fatty acids which comprise EPA and DHA, are found in fish oil supplements, fish, and algae extract. ALA is the short chain form of Omega 3, and it is commonly found in plant sources such as flaxseeds, nuts, chia seeds, olive oil, and avocado. The following is a short discussion of the various benefits that Omega 3 has on your athletic life. Speeds Up Your Exercise Recovery Following a tough training session, your muscles are usually left with some microscopic tears. Ironically, when these tears heal, they make you much stronger, faster, and more significant. Omega 3s are potent compounds in fighting inflammation, and they make the recovery process possible. Makes You Stronger To score the 20-inch biceps that you have been striving for, you need to pump in more iron. Omega 3 helps in this process. In addition to slowing down the muscle breakdown process, taking Omega 3 fatty acids enhances protein synthesis which means quick transform of diet protein into your biceps. Limits Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness As an extension of its inflammation-fighting ability, Omega 3 helps in fighting delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This condition usually leaves you limping for some days after hitting the squat rack. Omega 3 supplementation reduces your level of perceived pain markedly and improves your range of motion post CrossFit exercise. Boosts Your Reaction Time The human brain consists of 60% fat. Omega 3 fatty acids help in improving cognitive functioning as well as play a crucial role in visual processing and signaling. There are certain vital components of muscle membranes, neurons, and nerve endings that consist of fatty acids. A study was done and published in the Journal of Sports Science, and Medicine shows that soccer players dramatically improved their reaction four weeks into a diet of fish oil supplementation. Makes Your Muscles Work Better By helping in the timely transmission of signals from one cell to another, the Omega 3s in your neurons, nerve endings, and muscle membranes direct the overall neuromuscular function. In one study, male athletes who supplemented with EPA and DHA in their CrossFit nutrition witnessed an increased thigh function by about 20%. Other benefits include keeping you light on your feet, making your workouts feel more comfortable, and keeping your bones from snapping.
KUNAL JHAVERI | 23 Nov 17